Is changing a core belief gradual or instantaneous?

[Erock]

I apologize to anyone who answered my previous question about beliefs, because I am kind of asking the same question, but I would think that people on this forums would empathize with not understanding a personal development topic, as I'm sure you've all been there.

So, is changing a core belief gradual or instantaneous? I was reading Steve's post on the Lightworker's syndrome (fantastic article by the way) and he kept referring to changing a core belief.

What are like the 1. 2. 3. steps to changing a core belief? Or is it more like an empiphany?

Thanks a ton, I sincerely appreciate any advice given
Eric

[Richful]

Great post! I'd like some answers too.
My musings on the issue:
Probably a gradual process, beliefs are a whole lot of sensory data and conceptual understanding that is accepted by subconciousness. To change that takes time. But on the other hand a core belief just needs one piece of it to fall apart and it'll change. I see it as convincing yourself that your desired belief is true and your original belief false. How to? Hmm... Immersion perhaps, realisation is a saturation of conciousness in an idea. So saturate your brain with the belief you want maybe?

[Michael Chui]

Gradual.

We do have epiphanies, and they can certainly change a core belief, but it's not very likely. What I think happens instead is that an epiphany is often the straw that breaks the camel's back; over time, you accumulate more and more uncertainty about that core belief, even if it's subconscious, and an epiphany is the moment you realize it.

That said, I don't think there are any steps to it. Thinking about it, dwelling on it, questioning it... these can help. They can increase the rainfall, so to speak. But the change happens when you let it happen. The river builds up along the dam, but the epiphany is the opening of the floodgates.

[AndyMartin]

In Soviet Russia, core belief changes you!

Changing a core belief is very hard if you take it head on. That's because beliefs are held by ego which is motivated by fear of annihilation. It ties belief to identity, and it will fight to the bitter end not to lose identity. Don't underestimate or be unprepared for ego backlash if you do; it can be a bumpy ride! That's why epiphany is so earth-shaking. It's a bright light shined on something in darkness, that moment when a realization from your essential self exposes a conflict in your current ego structures that you can't deny. But ego is still there in the background, marshaling the troops, spoiling for a fight.

However, if you step into your greater spiritual awareness more of the time, conflicting beliefs will begin to fall away. While you can take on beliefs head-on, I approach belief like thoughts in a meditation. Beliefs arise and they pass, they are not me, so they are transient. By eliminating attachment to belief you step into your greater awareness and your whole person will bring itself into alignment. You will retrain ego to follow the directives of your higher awareness. This can happen gradually or spontaneously; don't worry about how, since that will just complicate the manifestation.

Good luck!
Andy

[elainevdw]

I agree with the previous posts in that epiphanies do happen, but they're likely the last, conscious piece of a huge puzzle of subconscious pieces you've been collecting for years. Just asking this question makes me think that you've already started rebuilding your beliefs -- the process just isn't complete yet.

I also agree that beliefs are tied into your identity, which can make them scary and difficult to change.

There are many ways to go through the process, but what I always do is completely immerse myself in information on whatever subject it is I'm persuing -- books, internet, talking to people about it, etc. Then when I'm more comfortable with it, I find a community I can join of like-minded people to get more information on the spectrum of real-world applications of that belief. Perhaps it's because I'm the youngest of three kids, but seeing and emulating people is a huge way I learn, and I'm not really comfortable acting out fledgling, changing beliefs around people who are going to think I'm crazy. Then after everything soaks in, I have the choice to keep what resonates with me and rework/ignore what doesn't.

[gberardi]

To disprove a theory, you just need one counterexample. I think a counterexample gives you the epiphany.

If you strongly believe something to be true, and a counterexample is given that shows your belief to be false, your belief change can be quite instant.

On the other hand, you can't prove a theory. You can only give good supporting arguments. If you strongly disbelieve something, and you keep getting more and more evidence that you might be wrong, it will be a gradual process.

I think my choice to become vegan was a gradual change. I originally thought that I just need to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet, which was predominantly processed food and meat. As I researched more and more, I kept finding more evidence that eating meat isn't helpful. Anything that supported an animal-based diet always seemed to be supported by flimsy evidence. "Milk gives you more calcium, which can be used to strengthen your bones and teeth." Yes, but from other things I read, your body absorbs calcium FROM the bones to make up for the acidity that the protein in milk apparently causes. Lies, damn lies, and statistics.

So I can't ever prove to myself that a vegan diet is healthiest. I just have a lot of evidence to back it up and a lot of evidence against eating animal-based foods.

Perhaps there was a day when I realized that I just couldn't drink milk anymore if I wanted to be healthy, but it didn't feel too dramatic for me. One day, I just stopped.

I think a similar process occurred when I realized that I could be an entrepreneur instead of an employee. I just read more and more material on my capabilities as a person and how under-utilized I am. And then this quote came up twice in a matter of weeks:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Once I found it while reading about motivation or inspiration or awakening the giant within or something like that. The second time was while watching Coach Carter. B-)

Anyway, the point is that sometimes you just gradually get more evidence to persuade you to one side of thinking or another. Sometimes your belief just shatters in the face of undeniable evidence.

[Amit]

I believe that with enough leverage belief changes can be instant but most of the time they tend to be gradual.

For instant ones if you can find the right buttons then you will have your instant change.

[Erock]

I get it, I think. So if a belief is based on a fact, and you find undisputable evidence that said fact is false, your belief will change instantly.

But, if your belief is based on a theory, you will have to build enough evidence to convince yourself that the theory is correct, so immersion would be the best option.

One more question: How about if you want to change a belief that there is not a lot of evidence to support? Like I know that Steve tried out a lot of religions, even ones that would be very difficult to convince yourself of, like Scientology. Is immersion still the best way to convince yourself of it, or is there some way to trick your subconscious mind into accepting it as fact without presenting a lot of logical evidence?

Thanks again
Eric

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Erock

I get it, I think. So if a belief is based on a fact, and you find undisputable evidence that said fact is false, your belief will change instantly.

*coughs* Actually, ehm... your belief CAN change instantly. Some people... well... that's not enough. And they bring a whole new meaning to "subjective reality". I think the term is "blind faith".

[gberardi]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

*coughs* Actually, ehm... your belief CAN change instantly. Some people... well... that's not enough. And they bring a whole new meaning to "subjective reality". I think the term is "blind faith".

Religion, politics, and diet sprout up again. B-)

[Michael Chui]

I'm being nice!

[elainevdw]

Originally Posted by Erock

I get it, I think. So if a belief is based on a fact, and you find undisputable evidence that said fact is false, your belief will change instantly.

I would caution you to keep in mind that people tend to decide what's a fact and what's a theory based on their beliefs.

For example, I was raised in a conservative Christian household where all the "facts" pointed towards the universe being 5,000 years old, and evolution a hairbrained, baseless theory.

Now what about mainstream science, which see the "facts" supporting the idea that the universe is billions years old, having matured by evolution, and those people who believe that existence was created whole, as-is, instantly, by a higher power are the ones with the hairbrained, baseless theory?

So that "fact" that cannot be disproved, that jumpstarts your epiphany, is still just part of your overall belief system.

I hope that makes sense!

[Erock]

Okay thanks for the responses. I have some deep beliefs that I want to change, but I get a lot of resistance, because I have believed them for so long. I need to like slowly tear them apart brick by brick. Has anybody had experience with this?

Thanks

[RandomJohn]

Sounds like you pulled out a few bricks already.

How about this as a technique you can use in addition to others: put yourself repeatedly in a position where the assumptions behind your belief are shown to be false. A good use for the law of attraction, eh?

[Michael Chui]

You sound like you're doing fine. You'll suddenly do something one day, realize how natural it was, and discover that those deep beliefs have been amply changed.

My favorite epiphany was when I was letting my mind wander while listening to ever-escalating music... and I heard myself think, "I really love myself." And then I realized it was true.

[Erock]

Hey thanks a lot guys!!

Do you think affirmations or visualizing could speed up the belief change process?

[MindReality]

Changing a core belief can be done in two ways, the indirect and the direct way.

You may not be able to get rid of the negative beliefs completely immediately and you don’t have to. Change happens over time. What matters is which are the thoughts you hold in your mind more consistently than the rest. Ultimately it is all a matter of focus.

Keep your focus on what you want instead of what you don’t want. Keep your focus on what is good and less on what is not good. Over time you will get where you want to be, more than where you do not want to be. Over time, your positive beliefs will become more and more real to you and your negative ones will just drop away thereby being automatically eliminated.

If you want to eliminate your beliefs directly, you have to examine the roots of your beliefs. Know your meta beliefs (Beliefs about beliefs). You first have to find out the reason of a belief. And know the reason for the reason of that belief. Go back as far as you can until you get to the core. Look for the essence.

How to Overcome Deep rooted Beliefs » Secrets of Mind and Reality

[Keith]

Originally Posted by Erock

Do you think affirmations or visualizing could speed up the belief change process?

Yes.

I think 'the last straw' is a good analogy when it comes to beliefs. I doubt affirmations would be enough by themself, but in conjunction with challenging the belief, immersing yourself in other beliefs etc. they should certainly help the process along.

BTW, what is the belief you want to change? (Or is that too personal to share?)